Pinellas looks to Broward for guidance on school arrests

In seeking to cut down on the number of student arrests, Pinellas is taking a page from Broward County.

School officials on Thursday discussed a collaborative agreement on school discipline that Broward's school board signed with law enforcement agencies. The emphasis is ensuring that students who commit nonviolent, minor offenses don't end up with police records.

About 63 percent of school arrests are for nonviolent offenses across the state, said Michael Bessette, Pinellas's director of operations. He did not immediately know the rate in Pinellas, although 20 percent of school arrests in Pinellas are for disruption. In Broward, the rate was 71 percent.

Superintendent Mike Grego said he has spoken with Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, and "he is very much in favor." Pinellas wants to "more clearly delineate" what happens when a student commits an offense, so that law enforcement doesn't get involved when it isn't necessary.

"It would have to be a violent crime or a felony crime for law enforcement to step right through it," said Bessette.

He also noted that Broward has an eight-page, highly specific discipline matrix that tells school officials exactly what the response should be when a student commits each offense - for the first, second or third time. Pinellas does not have a discipline matrix, schools spokeswoman Melanie Marquez Parra said.

Bessette is meeting with Gualtieri and heads of municipial law enforcement agencies in January.

School board members voiced support for the district to bridge Broward's agreement into their own deadlings.

"Of course we all know what happens to children once they get those arrests on their records and what it can inhibit down the line," said board member Rene Flowers. "This really gives children opportunities rather than penalizing, then trying to draw them back."

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.